Organic Produce Benefits Quantified?
Hailed as a "historic report," research conducted by the Organic Center in Boulder, Colo, concludes that converting the nation's eight million acres of produce farms to organic would reduce pesticide dietary risks by about 97 percent.
The Organic Center claims to be providing the first-ever quantitative estimate of the degree to which pesticide risks from food can be eliminated through adoption of organic farming methods, in "Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option," a new State of Science Review by Dr. Charles Benbrook, the Organic Center's chief scientist.
Less than 3percent of the nation's cropland produces fruits and vegetables, according to the research. Yet, The Organic Center said, these crops account for most of the pesticide risks from dietary exposure in domestically produced foods. The 97 percent risk reduction can only be achieved if converting domestic cropland of organic is coupled with consumers choosing only imported produce that is certified organic, researchers said.
The estimates are based on up-to-date pesticide residue data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency's current methods for estimating pesticide dietary risks, according to the Organic Center.
The Organic Center is offering a free download of its report at ts web site. Founded in 2002, The Organic Center is a non-profit devoted to presenting and providing peer-reviewed scientific evidence on how organic products benefit human health and environmental quality.